Known springs used in electric switches such as cradle relays have a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, a base portion at the proximal end, and a contact section. The contact section extends from the base portion to the distal end and has a contact member at which the contact section contacts a counter contact to open or close electrical contact with the counter contact.
In known switching relays, a drive system comprising a coil, a yoke, and an armature generates a driving force to move the spring to close the electrical contact. The armature is driven when a control current is applied to the coil and the movement of the armature is imparted to the spring. A drive transmission member is disposed between the armature and the spring in order to transmit the armature's movement to the spring; in a cradle relay, the drive transmission member is formed by the cradle. The spring acts immediately upon the armature in order to return it to its original position when the drive system is shut off and the driving force is no longer generated. This design, however, makes known switching relays bulky and expensive to manufacture.